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Monday, April 4, 2016

Florida Nature Spot of the Week: Anclote Key Florida

Spring is in the air and it is the perfect time to explore Floridian Nature! The
island of Anclote Key houses both the Anclote Key State Preserve and the
Anclote National Wildlife Refuge. Accessible only by private boat, this
island park has a lighthouse and wildlife area that is a sanctuary for
rare and endangered species. Blue-green Gulf waters lap gently along the
preserve´s beautiful four-mile-long beach. About 1,000 years ago this
island was pushed up from the Gulf floor to rest on a limestone
platform. Its geologic growth hasn’t stopped. Recent research has
documented a 30 percent increase in the size of Anclote since 1957.

Much
of the 180 acres encompassed by Anclote Key is very damp and
marshy, which makes it hard
to travel around unless you walk along the sand beaches. The color of
the water resembles that of the Florida Keys because it is a
turquoise-color. The island's
intercoastal side,
or eastern side, has no beach. Instead, it has
mangroves and mushy mud,
almost like quicksand. The western side, or
Gulf of Mexico side, however, is
sandy from the waves. There are more of the taller trees on this side,
like palms and
pines rather than shrubs and
mangroves. From the top of the lighthouse, you can actually see the
distinct line in which the island is split between short shrubs and tall
trees. One of the wonderful things about this quiet, peaceful paradise
is that you can literally pull up to an un-inhabited part of the island,
set up your chairs, and enjoy your own personal part of the beach.